


Perfect Strangers

by Karmi



Series: Cloti Fall Festival 2019 [7]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Birthday Party, Costumes, F/M, Light Angst, Rekindling, Reunion Sex, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Smut, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:52:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21515587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karmi/pseuds/Karmi
Summary: Vincent invites Yuffie and Tifa to a friend's costume-theme birthday party. Once there, Tifa finds herself glued to an mysterious stranger all night... until he's no longer a stranger.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife, Yuffie Kisaragi/Vincent Valentine, Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough
Series: Cloti Fall Festival 2019 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1545817
Comments: 36
Kudos: 74





	1. Costume Party

**Author's Note:**

> This has been on my mind, in my folder, for MONTHS.
> 
> So, this is actually a rewrite/extension of a fic I wrote years ago on FF called "The Date." I've completely reworked it, and I will be updating this over time! 
> 
> For now, I'll be entering it for Free Day, the last day of #ClotiFallFestival2019!
> 
> Happy Birthday FH Discord!
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy~

“Tifa! Are you ready yet?”

“Almost!”

Yuffie enters her room, hands on her hips. “I’m sure you’re gonna look hot!”

Tifa pulls up her burnt orange mini-skirt and steps out of her closet. She's in a shortly cropped white tank top and simple eye makeup with brown lipstick.

“Damn!” Yuffie shouts. “I knew you had legs, but _geez_!”

Tifa huffs, tossing her hair behind her. “Do you think I should wear the brown thigh highs with this?”

Her roommate nods vigorously. “Absolutely!”

Tifa goes back into her closet and puts on a matching vest with tassels. She grabs her socks, rolls them on, then steps into a pair of brown boots.

She walks back out. “Think the spurs are too much?”

Yuffie giggles. “I mean, you are a cowgirl right?”

Tifa looks down at herself, turning around in her mirror. “Well, I was… but then you mentioned we had to wear masks, so I think I’m just gonna call myself a bandit now.” She hangs her hat around her neck. “Love your ninja outfit by the way,” Tifa says as she grabs her mask.

Yuffie is in a black jumpsuit with a dark green sash tied across her hips. Dark green straps lace up her legs and her arms. There'ss a black cowl around her neck and across the bottom of her face, with a black mask that covers the right side at a crooked angle.

Her roommate's eyes narrow, and Tifa knows she's smirking. “Thanks! I’m trying to make sure I steal someone’s attention!” She winks as Tifa laughs. “I was totally right, you do look hot.”

Tifa rolls her eyes. “Stop it.”

“I better see you flirting tonight!” Yuffie checks her phone. “Make sure you grab a jacket. The party is gonna be on the roof.”

Tifa picks a brown peacoat. “Glad I’m wearing the socks, then.”

* * *

The roof is a really nice space, with white and red chairs and tables. There are even a couple of grills. Streamers and balloons decorate throughout, tied to the chairs and pillars. There is a banner on the wall near the entrance that reads, _“Happy Birthday Zack!”_

Tifa speaks with a few people before grabbing a glass of wine and meandering off to the side. A blue balloon floats near her, tied in place to the railing. There is a white foldout table to her right that includes a metal bowl filled with ice and cans of beer and ciders. A glass bowl holds punch. 

She undoes the belt on her coat but leaves it on. Someone joins not long after.

“Tifa?”

She takes a sip as she focuses on her companion. The man in front of her has a long, tattered red cape over a black suit. His red mask covers most of his face. He keeps his long black hair back with a large red headband. Fake blood drips down his chin. She recognizes him by his red eyes.

“Vincent!”

He smiles, hugging her. “How are you?”

“I’m alright. It was a rough week, but cheers to the weekend, yeah?”

Vincent laughs. “I’m glad you came.” He holds her out, looking her up and down. “Are you a cowgirl?”

Tifa takes a step back and spins around. “Cowgirl by day, bandit by night. How’d you know it was me?”

“Yuffie pointed you out.”

“Ah.” She leans against the railing. “How many have you had?” she askes as Vincent takes another drink of his beer.

He glances down at it. “I don’t know. Four, maybe? Why?”

Tifa giggles. “You’re more expressive when you drink. It’s a good thing,” she adds at the worried look on his face. He sighs, standing next to her. She hugs his arm. “Thanks for inviting us. If you weren’t here, I don’t know if I would have come!”

He takes a drink. “Really?”

“Really, Vinnie.” She lifts her glass to her mouth and spots their friend. “Go talk to her!”

“In all seriousness… are you sure it’s okay? It’s not… awkward or anything?”

Tifa shakes her head and lets him go. “Not at all. It’s fine! I already told her we dated a while back so there are no surprises.” She laughs. “You know, she keeps asking me that, too. Whether or not this is awkward for me.” She finishes her wine. “Just know I’m not going to play matchmaker, so you have to figure that out on your own.”

He stares across the roof at Yuffie. “She… does look really good in that costume.”

“What are you supposed to be, anyway?”

Vincent tugs on his cape. “A vampire.”

Tifa snorts and covers her mouth. “I love it.”

“Yeah… have a good time,” he says with a wave as he walked away.

She can tell his face is red underneath the mask.

Tifa turns back to the glittering city under her as she sets her wine glass down. 

“Would you like another drink?”

She looks up to see who has joined her. He's dressed in a black hood and pants, but the shirt is sleeveless. He has on black gloves and bracers that travel halfway up his forearms. A black scarf covers the lower half of his face. Between that and the hood, all she can see are piercing blue eyes staring back at her. 

“Sure.” 

He grabs a cup and fills it with ice and punch before handing it to her. He gets a glass of water for himself.

“You’re not wearing a mask?” she askes as she takes a sip. The punch is tangy and the vodka adds a nice kick.

He chuckles. “No. I figured this should be enough.”

“What are you supposed to be?”

He sips from his drink. “An assassin.”

“Ooh. Coming to finish a job?” she teases, smiling.

He huffs. “No…” He crosses his arms and stares at her. “Maybe another day.”

That sends a shiver down her spine. She takes another drink from her cup.

“So, what are you?

Tifa slips off her peacoat and poses with her hands on her hips. His gaze roams up and down her body and she is grateful the mask covers the top half of her face - else her blush might be obvious.

“An… outlaw?”

She laughs. “You got it right! Not even Vincent got it right!”

The corners of his eyes crinkle. “You know Vincent?”

Tifa turns back to the view. “I met him… four years ago? While I was in school in Junon.”

“What did you go to school for?”

“Business and sociology.”

He whistles. “Wow. That’s impressive. So what do you do now?”

“I manage a bar here in Midgar.” She savors her drink for a moment. “What about you?”

“Went to culinary school. I own a bakery.”

She stares at him. “That’s amazing!”

He laughs, scratching the back of his neck. “Yeah… It’s small, but it’s mine.”

“What kinds of things do you bake?”

He shrugs. “Anything really. Pastries, cakes, pies. Had a huge order to fill for a wedding reception today. Almost didn’t make it.”

Tifa gapes. “You have a small shop but you’re filling orders for weddings!”

He glances at her and drinks again. “It’s not a big deal. It was for a friend.”

“That’s still really nice of you.” They both look out at the city. “So, how do you know Vincent?”

“We used to play rugby together in a rec league. Zack, too.”

“Which one is Zack again?”

He turns around and points at a man with black spiky hair and a large, fake sword strapped to his back. He's in a blue turtleneck and dark pants and is currently greeting some new guests under the banner. He is the only one not obscuring his face.

“It’s his birthday party.”

She rubs her arm. “Hm.”

”What?”

“I’m glad I decided to come.”

“You almost didn’t?”

“Vincent’s one of the only people that I know here. I usually don’t like parties where I don’t know anyone,” she laughs.

He hums in response, turning back and leaning forward on the rail. “I’m the same way. I don’t much care for parties at all. But Zack’s my best friend.”

She stands a little closer to him. “Well, you’re not doing a bad job of socializing, if that’s what you’re worried about.” 

He smirks at her. “Oh yeah?”

Tifa feels her face flush. _This is what happens when I listen to Yuffie!_ She downs the rest of her drink. He laughs.

“Want another?”

“Sure.” She shivers again, this time from the cold, and slips her coat back on as he refills her glass. “So, what did you make for the wedding?”

* * *

As Yuffie chats Vincent up, the host of the party joins them. 

“Hi! You must be Yuffie!” He reaches out and hugs her, giving her a peck on the cheek.

“Hi yourself!” she giggles.

“I’m Zack. It’s nice to meet you.” He nudges his friend. “Vincent here has told me a lot about you!”

“Oh, has he?” she asks, eyebrow raised. “It’s all lies!”

Zack rubs his chin. “Hm… you’re right.” He winks. “You _are_ cuter than he said you were.”

“I’m getting another beer,” Vincent says, walking away.

“Get one for me too!” Yuffie shouts after him.

“So, what’s your costume?”

“I am,” she poses, “the Great Ninja Yuffie!”

“You look fantastic!”

Yuffie bows. “Thank you, gracious host. What are you?”

Zack poses similarly to Yuffie. “A hero!”

“You definitely look the part!”

Vincent comes back and hands a beer to Yuffie. A woman in a white robe with long brown hair over one shoulder accompanies him. A large, ornamental necklace hangs around her neck, a white mask adorns the left side of her face. There's a green flower in the top left corner.

“Is Zack causing trouble over here?” she asks, her voice teasing.

“Ah, my beautiful priestess, coming to bless our souls,” Zack says as he pulls her into a hug and kisses her exposed cheek.

She pushes him away playfully. “Zack, stop it!” She holds her hand out to Yuffie. “I’m Aerith.”

“Yuffie!” she greets, shaking her hand. 

Aerith smiles brightly. “Welcome to our home. Well,” she looks around, “our roof anyway.”

“Why did you decide to move the party to the roof?” Vincent asks.

Zack’s ears turn red. Aerith side-glances him, taking a step away from him. “Someone here decided they wanted to install everything in the house themselves instead of hiring a professional.”

“I figured I’d be done before the party!” Zack whines.

Aerith barely acknowledges him. “And while installing the shelves in the living room the other day, Zack missed a step on the ladder and brought everything he’d already put together crashing down with him!”

Yuffie bursts into laughter. Zack’s face flushes. “I said I was sorry!”

“Now we have to call someone in, which we should have done in the first place, and they can’t come to fix the new _holes_ ,” she looks at Zack head-on, “and re-install everything _correctly_ until tomorrow.”

“Babe, you know I’m usually really handy with this stuff!”

Aerith huffs. “Sure. But you wait until we throw our first party after moving in together to become a clutz!” She looks at Vincent. “We should’ve hired Cloud! He’s good with his hands.”

“Speaking of,” Zack says, throwing his arm around Aerith and changing the subject, “who’s that cutie he’s talking to?”

Vincent searches the crowd before finding the friend in question. He is standing rather close to a woman he recognizes, who was laughing.

“Tifa, a friend of mine.”

Yuffie raises a brow as she watches her roommate from across the roof. “He seems charming.”

Aerith giggles. “He’s quite the looker, too.”

Vincent drinks his beer. “Perhaps we should join them.”

The ninja smirks as she links her arm with Vincent’s. “Nope! Let’s see what happens!”

* * *

They spend much of the night talking, mostly about their jobs and day to day lives. Cloud keeps thinking something about her is familiar, but he doesn’t bring it up. He thinks he’ll eventually figure it out on his own. 

She stopped drinking a while ago, and now she's beginning to shiver more frequently. He supposes the alcohol’s warmth is wearing off.

“You want to go inside?”

She holds herself tightly. “Uh… yeah. Sure.” 

She follows him to the indoor area. There's a tv and a few couches on one side, some high tops and booths and a few games on the other. Rubbing her hands, she slides into one of the booths. Another resident is having a small party inside. 

“So,” she starts, “you said you’re from a small town on the western continent?”

“Yeah, but I’ve been in Midgar for a while now.”

“When did you move here?”

Cloud sits back in thought. “Seven years?” He chuckles. “I remember hating it at first.”

She crosses her arms over the table and leans forward. “Why?”

He scratches his head, looking up to avoid staring down her shirt. “This is going to sound dumb, but… I didn’t get to say goodbye to my girlfriend.”

The look on her face is sympathetic. “That doesn’t sound dumb,” she says softly. “Have you… talked to her since?”

He shakes his head, folding his hands on the table. “No… She probably hates me.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Her dad wouldn’t let me see or talk to her before I moved. She probably thinks I got what I wanted prom night and that I’m a scumbag.” He stares down and twiddles his thumbs. He can’t stop himself from talking. “I’ve dated since then of course, but sometimes I think about her. I hate that it ended like that. I wish… I was able to fix it.” _Why am I telling her all of this?_

“That’s so sad.”

He shrugs. “It’s fine.”

She bites her lip. “Something similar happened to me, too. How funny is that?”

Cloud takes off his scarf and laid it on the table. “Yeah?”

She scratches her arm. “There was this boy in high school. We weren’t really close friends growing up, but I pretty much knew him my whole life. We started talking more in high school, and then started dating at the beginning of senior year.” She twirls her hair around her finger. “I had a crush on him for a while… Ah, I’m rambling,” she laughs.

“It’s okay. You’re easy to listen to.”

Under the light, even with her mask, he sees the blush on her face as she looks down at the table.

_Gaia, she’s cute._

“Well, anyway… we went to prom together, and then…” Her blush grows more intense. “Yeah, _that_ happened. In a motel of all places!” She runs a hand through her hair. “I remember him being worried he was making me feel cheap. But I just… I don’t know, I didn’t want to do it in his car, and we couldn’t go to either of our houses! Gods, the silly choices we made as teenagers… Then he moved away and didn’t say a word to me beforehand—”

His eyes widen. “Wait.” 

She meets his gaze. He notices, now that they were under a light, the color of her eyes. 

_No way…_

“Did… did your dad barge in on you with him that night?” 

“Yes…” She puts a hand over her mouth. “Oh, gods.” 

He removes his hood. She gasps.

“Cloud?”

He blinks. “Tifa…”

She rips off her mask. He can see her eyes so much better without it on, those eyes he lost himself in seven years before. 

“Shit.”

She sits back in shock, still covering her mouth and they just stare at each other. Neither of them even notice their friends coming in.

“Hey! This is where you disappeared to!” Yuffie glances between them. “What’s uh… going on?”

“Tifa?” Vincent’s voice is filled with concern.

That breaks her out of her reverie. She quickly slides out of the booth and grabs Yuffie’s hand, leading her back outside.

Vincent stares after them before taking her place. “What was that?”

Cloud leans back into the booth and rubs his face. “You remember the girl I told you about before? The one I took to prom and her dad and everything?”

Vincent nods slowly.

“Yeah… that was her.”

“Wh-what?”

Cloud laughs darkly. “I’ve been talking to her all night and didn’t even know.”

“She obviously didn’t recognize you, either. You had your hood on all night.” Vincent closes his eyes and sits back into the booth. He's beginning to sober up. “How interesting.”

“What?”

“Did she tell you how she knows me?”

“She just said she knew you while she was in school.”

Vincent hiccups then clears his throat. “We… dated for a year or so.”

Cloud puts his head in his hands and groans. “Holy shit.”

Zack and Aerith come in a minute later.

“Cloud,” Aerith chides, “what did you say to that girl?!”

He looks up. “What?”

“She ran outside with Yuffie in a frenzy! Her face is beet red!”

Zack laughs loudly. “What in the world happened?”

People from the other party start to glare in their direction. Cloud lowers his voice and explains. The three of them stare back at him, mouths open.

Aerith slides into the seat next to Vincent and grabs Cloud’s hand. “You _have_ to go after her.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I upset her.”

“Excuses! She’s just surprised!” Her eyes sparkle. She clasps both of her hands with his and sigh. “Don’t you see? This is fate! The universe has brought the two of you back together!”

Cloud rolls his eyes. “Aerith, don’t start with that.”

Zack claps him on the shoulder. “She’s right, man. Go after her! You obviously still care a lot about her.”

“Fuck me,” Cloud says as he slides down further into his seat. This was embarrassing enough when he finally recognized her, but now all of their friends know. 

“Cloud,” Aerith says firmly. “If you don’t go say something to her, I will.”

He sits up straight. “Don’t do that.”

She lets go of his hand and stands up. “You better get going then!”

“Aerith… I don’t think…”

“Excuses!” she sings.

“Argh! Fine!” Cloud gets up, grabs Tifa’s mask, and storms out.

* * *

He finds them on the far side of the roof. Tifa is talking frantically to her friend in a low voice. Cloud didn’t notice until now just how many people had left already.

“Tifa?”

She whips around, her eyes wide. “Y-yes?”

“You uh… you left your mask inside.”

Yuffie sniggers. “Is Vincent still in there? I need to ask him something.” 

“Yuffie…” Tifa begs.

“I’ll see ya later!” Her dark eyes twinkle as she salutes them, and she leaves.

Tifa moans, turning away from Cloud and staring out at the city. He rubs the back of his neck and stands next to her.

They ware both silent for a few minutes. Tifa taps her foot as she hugs herself. He runs a hand through his hair. Suddenly, they both turn to each other and start speaking rapidly.

“I tried to see you—”

“I thought you didn’t care about me—”

“I’m sorry, I wanted to talk to you—”

“My dad kept you away from me?”

They both stop. They had gotten closer to one another.

She looks up at him. “You… said you still… think about me sometimes?”

He nods. “Yeah. I’m really sorry, Tifa.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you talk to me at school?”

“Your dad was the mayor. He said he’d call the cops on me if I ever came near you again. I believed him.”

Tifa reaches out and grabs her mask but pauses. Her fingers brush his.

“When you promised me we’d be together…”

“I meant that.” He wraps his hand around hers. “I meant it, Tifa. I wasn’t just trying to score with you. Shit, I’d had a crush on you since we were kids.”

She nibbles on her lower lip and glances away, thinking about everything he’d said. “How would you fix what happened?”

Cloud blinks. “I… I don’t know…”

Tifa takes her mask back, wraps her arms around his neck, and kisses him. He doesn’t hesitate to slip his hands inside of her coat and hug her tightly. 

He feels a lot of things all at once, the most prominent being how he felt seven years ago in that motel bed with her, talking and laughing and…

Is it possible he’d never actually gotten over his first love?

When she pulls away, her gaze is intense. It stirrs something in him.

“Can you… try to show me?” she whispers.

He responds by kissing her again.


	2. Rekindling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is uh, almost purely smut. I'm not sorry. Treat that as a content warning.

They walk back inside and say quick goodbyes to their friends. 

“Have a good night!” Yuffie whispers in Tifa’s ear with a knowing grin.

Zack winks at Cloud as he hands him his scarf, slipping something into his pocket. Tifa swears she hears him say, “Atta boy.”

She hesitates when they approach his motorcycle. 

_All he had to drink was water, there’s nothing to be afraid of!_

That isn’t really what scares her, if she's being honest with herself.

“You said you wanted a ride, right?” He smirks at her.

_Me and my attempts to flirt earlier!_

“I… I didn’t think I’d be taking you up on that so soon.”

He helps her put the helmet on, makes sure it's secure, and tells her to hold onto him as tight as she can. 

“You’re not gonna hurt me. Just squeeze,” he says before revving the bike.

The vibrations nearly send her into a tizzy – she is both excited and nervous, and all for different reasons.

She hugs him tightly, feeling his hard stomach under her arms. Her scandalous thoughts make her face grow warm.

She doesn’t know how much time passes. It feels like an eternity as the city zips by. But before she knows it, he is locking the door behind them and his lips are on hers again. His hands are all over her and _fuck_ they feel good.

He kisses her neck over and over as he rips off her coat and vest. He yanks off his gloves and removes his shoes. She lifts his shirt, and his mouth finds hers again once it is gone, one hand in her hair, the other around her waist. There is a thinner, sleeveless shirt underneath the hood. Her fingers scrape his stomach under it, eager to touch what she felt before on the bike.

Her heart thumps so loudly in her ears she can swear he hears it too. Is she doing this right now? 

Well, what is she doing, exactly?

Hooking up with a stranger?

Reconnecting with a lost love?

She sighs as he sucks on her neck. He'ss getting lower. Her hat has been discarded.

“You’re going to leave hickeys…”

She feels his lips turn up against her skin. “Is that… a problem?”

Tifa shakes her head. “No,” she pants. “I was just making an observation.”

He pauses, his hands on her waist, fingers on the hem of her skirt. His mouth rests on her collarbone. 

“Do you want me to stop?”

She blinks. “What?”

Cloud lifts his head to look at her. His eyes are dark with lust, but his face shows concern. 

“Are you okay with this?”

Is she? 

She’s only had a couple of drinks, and they weren’t particularly strong. She isn’t drunk. But that isn’t what he's asking.

Does she want him now or is she wading into her teenage feelings? She’d spent so long angry with him, heartbroken, but what he said…

_“Sometimes I think about her.”_

_“I hate that it ended like that.”_

_“I wish… I was able to fix it.”_

_Why bring up something like that just to lie to a stranger?_

His honesty earlier had touched her. And when she saw his face in the light…

She reaches up and kisses him, nibbling on his lower lip. His grip on her waist tightens.

“How much did you think about me?” she murmurs, pushing her body against him. Her thigh brushes against the bulge in his pants.

He growls and lifts her tank top over her head before pinning her between himself and the wall. She snakes her hands up his body and pulls his undershirt off, planting kisses across his chest as he runs a hand through her hair. He grabs the back of her neck and turns her to him, kissing her roughly.

Her fingers fumble with the fastenings on his pants. His other hand drifts up her skirt. He presss his thumb against her clit through her damp panties, and she throws her head back in a loud gasp. She squeezes her knees together and whines as he continues to rub her slowly. Heat pools in her core and rises up into her chest and neck. She grips his belt tightly in one hand, the other clutching his arm.

“Cloud…”

Her body quivers with anticipation and pleasure. She finally undoes his belt. He grabs her hands and holds them above her head.

“Please,” she begs, squirming. 

He reaches into his pocket, keeping her in place with one hand, and pulls out a condom. Her eyes widen. 

_So that’s what he slipped you!_

He kisses her again as he drops his pants, letting go of her wrists and tearing the package open. She slides her underwear down her legs and kicks off her boots to step out of them. He’s only just gotten the rubber on when he lifts her leg and hooks it around him. He kisses down her jaw and grazes her earlobe with his teeth.

They moan together as he enters her. His forehead rests on her shoulder. She holds onto his arms tightly as he moves in and out, slowly. 

“Tifa,” he breathes. 

Her nails leave marks in his skin. She closes her eyes. He mutters something incoherently and begins fucking her harder, his fingers digging into her thigh as he holds her up. She kisses him desperately, even though she already feels like she can’t breathe. His hand slips closer to her rear and she wraps her arms around him and brings him even closer. Her mind can't focus on anything but him.

Just him.

She's getting louder. His hips move frantically against her, and she can tell he's close too. She moans as she buries her face into his neck.

“Cl-cloud!”

“Tifa!”

He roughly smashes into her a few more times before driving all the way inside her. She clenches around him, crying out as she comes, slumping against his body. A shudder goes through him and he groans loudly. 

They lean heavily against the wall, tangled in each other for a few minutes, breathless. The sweat is already cooling against their skin.

“Damn,” Cloud finally says.

“Mm?”

He lets her leg go and kisses her temple. “I… I rushed that.”

“What?”

He takes one of her hands in his and touches his forehead to hers. “I shouldn’t have rushed it,” he chuckles. “Sorry. I didn’t realize how much… I missed you.”

Her heart flips at the confession.

She missed him too… so much.

“That’s not good enough to fix anything.”

She licks her lips as she opens her eyes. “Are you saying you weren’t satisfied?”

He shakes his head. “No. Gods no.”

“Well… how about we try again? Do it right this time?”

Cloud laughs and kisses her, his arms around her waist.

She hops up, wrapping her legs around him, her mouth laying claim to his neck. One hand slides up her back, the other under her ass, he makes his way through the apartment.

Tifa shivers – the metal bracers are cold against her hot skin. She holds him tightly as she lays down layer upon layer of kisses, licking and sucking all the way across his shoulder and back to his collarbone. 

He stops, removing the condom, before sitting down with her on the edge of his bed. She didn’t even notice they’d walked inside of a room. It isn’t completely dark; even though his blinds are closed, the lights from outside still filter in.

Tifa untangles herself and stands in front of him. She can see his face, his eyes trailing down her body. Her skirt is hiked up considerably and one of her socks has rolled halfway down. His briefs are still on, but askew.

“How is it that I’m in more clothes than you?”

He chuckles, kissing her stomach. “I was eager. And you have more clothes.”

Cloud pushes her socks down and she kicks them off. As he travels back up her leg, he kisses her along her inner thigh. She sucks in a breath. Just as he reaches the ends of her skirt, he leans back and unclips his bracers. They clang to the floor. She unhooks her bra and watches his face as she lets it fall away.

He just stares. The self-doubt she’d been trying to keep at bay all night creeps into the front of her mind. Her hands itch to cover herself until he scoots closer to the edge of the bed and wraps his tongue around her nipple. He grabs her other breast and kneads it with his fingers.

She runs her own through his hair and arches her back, pressing into him. He grazes her nipple with his teeth, bites and sucks the skin around it, kisses delicately, sucks again. She feels her knees getting wobbly from his touch.

He pulls her down to the bed, onto her back, one hand sliding down her hip as his mouth moves to her other breast. She hisses, staring at the ceiling, fully aware that she’ll be covered in marks in the morning. But she doesn’t care. It's worth it.

Two fingers slip past her folds, invading her dripping cunt. Her hips buck. She looks down at him. He licks her nipple as his fingers spread and curl, his thumb pressed against her throbbing clit again. He gazes up at her lazily as his mouth travels down her stomach, leaving butterfly kisses to her hip. He bites her lightly there, and she squirms as he slips her skirt off and tosses it aside. His fingers were back inside of her in an instant.

Everything aches. But it feels _so_ good.

She wants him like she never knew she could want someone.

Their first time, her first time as well as his, she was so nervous she almost couldn’t relax. They clumsily roamed each other’s bodies, clueless. When they were both finally naked, she remembered blushing so hard it made her ears burn. She had been completely nude in front of a boy! _This_ boy, who she had only fantasized about before! And he was flustered too.

But now, he movs expertly around her, inside her. She knows what that means, of course, but she isn’t jealous. She’s had her share of experiences as well, and in this moment, she's grateful for it.

Cloud Strife is not the nervous, amateur boy he’d been before. 

And she isn’t so innocent either.

She stares down at him, chest heaving, as he kisses the inside of her thigh. His eyes never leave hers. She wiggles her hips.

“Cloud… please…” she whines.

Something in his eyes makes her think he's ready to tease her, and she isn’t sure she can handle that.

But his lips wrap around her nub, and she arches with a loud sigh.

He continues to pump his fingers in and out of her while he sucks and licks her most sensitive spot. She grips his sheets in one hand, her other grabbing a fistful of his hair.

“Oh, gods Cloud.”

He chuckles against her and doesn't stop. She squeezes her eyes shut at the sensation, feeling her chest tighten as her harsh pants became shorter.

His fingers move faster. He sucks harder. Her breath hitches, then she lets out a series of high-pitched squeals.

She trembles violently as he pads her clit with his thumb, letting her ride her high down. She pants hard. For a few brief seconds, she isn’t even aware of where she is.

When she opens her eyes, he's staring down at her.

* * *

She is beautiful underneath him. Her hair is a mess, fanning out around her head. Her face is flushed, crimson eyes fogged over. 

But damn if she isn’t the sexiest creature he’d ever seen.

He remembers that night all those years ago when she was underneath him, a bundle of nerves. He was a wreck himself. He was so afraid of hurting her, his hands shook as he tried to slip on a rubber. When he finally hovered above her, ready, he hesitated. He asked her over and over again if she was sure.

He remembered her wincing in pain at first, and his stomach lurching. He almost stopped, but she reassured him it was okay.

Now, she's with him again, and she is most certainly not as timid as she had been before. She takes him eagerly and with no uncertainty. 

He didn’t imagine that if he ever saw her again, they’d be in bed after a few hours. But he definitely isn’t going to complain.

She reaches up and caresses his cheek. He kisses her palm, letting her catch her breath for a little while longer before bending down to touch his lips to her neck gently.

“What do you want?” he whispers in her ear.

She shudders, her hands in his hair. 

“You, Cloud.”

He kisses her over and over, making his way down her body again as he reaches into his nightstand for another condom. Once he grabs one, he leans back.

She sits up and pushes him against his headboard. Her mouth finds his neck, his shoulder, down his chest. He lets out a heavy sigh, relaxing, closing his eyes as she tugs his briefs off.

Her fingers graze his cock. He groans, letting his head fall back, but then her mouth envelopes him.

Cloud tenses. His eyes snap down to meet hers. She gives him the same look he’s sure he gave her earlier.

_What have I done?_

“Mm,” she moans as her head bobs. Her humming drives him crazy. He fights to grab her hair, instead settling for the covers. He figures he’ll just let her go – she doesn’t seem to need any help.

She slowly licks up to the top of his shaft, then begins to work him with her hand. She kisses his stomach, trailing up to his neck, then his jaw. She pecks him right at the corner of his mouth but moves away too quickly when he tries to find her lips again.

“Tease.”

She giggles, following the same path she’d made before, plucking the condom out of his hand.

“What’re you doing with that?”

She only hums, licking his precum before circling her tongue around his cock. The slight vibration makes him clench his jaw. She squeezes him a little tighter as her hand moved up and down with her mouth.

He leans his head back again. She's getting faster as he approached the edge and he starts fucking her mouth. He thinks his teeth are going to break from the pressure.

“Tifa…”

“Hmm?”

He's throbbing. She sucks on his tip, before submerging his cock in her mouth as deep as she can.

“Nng!” he grunts, emptying down her throat.

She pauses. He gasps when she starts sucking lightly again, making sure to get every last drop. He stares at her with wide eyes as she slowly lifted her head and looks at him, swallowing and licking her lips.

He grabs her arm and pulls her up to him, kissing her hard, forcing her mouth open for him. He can taste himself on her tongue, their juices mixing. She straddles his lap, grinding her hips against him, coaxing him back to full attention. She brakes away from their sloppy kiss, leaving a trail with her lips down his jaw, to his neck. She nibbles on his ear. Her hands run up his neck and into his hair. He holds her waist as he kisses her shoulder.

She unwraps the condom behind his head before positioning herself so she can slip it on. His grip tightens on her as she lowers herself onto him, letting his aching member enter her warm core once more.

He watches her head loll back, her eyes close, as she sighs. He lets her adjust to him as he slides his arm up her back, tangling his fingers in her hair. Her hands press against his chest.

“Was this the ride you were asking for earlier?” he says, his voice low.

Her eyes flash to him. She starts to rotate her hips in a circle.

“Maybe,” she replies breathlessly.

He leans back and watches her for a moment, grinding his hips with hers as she speeds up, using his shoulders for leverage.

_Fuck._

Her tits jiggle in the most tantalizing way, sweat gleaning off of them. He pulls her closer to him and kisses her neck, making his way down to flick his tongue on one of her engorged nipples. She sucks in a breath, slapping against him even faster. Her nails dug into his flesh, which made him hungrier for her. 

He can’t keep his mouth or hands off of her for too long. It’s like he's trying to make up for the lost time he didn’t get to have with her. All the things they said that night, the promises they made – all the times he thought about her and wondered…

_Does she hate me?_

_Should I have said something? Taken the chance?_

_I hurt her._

_I’ll never see her again._

But here she is, in his lap, moaning his name.

He holds her tightly as he shifts positions, making sure to stay connected to her as he lays her down. She whimpers as he holds himself above her and begins moving his hips with hers again.

She feels incredible. He slips a hand under her and lifts one of her legs over his shoulder so he can reach deeper inside her.

“A-ah!”

She turns her head to the side, biting her lip. Her breathing is ragged.

For a second, he's once again afraid that he's hurting her.

“Tifa.”

She responds with a shrill, “Hm?”

“Look at me.” 

He slows down, resting on his elbow and intertwining his fingers with hers. Her leg slips down his arm but he holds it.

She turns back to him and he kisses her deeply. He kisses her cheeks, her jaw, her brow, before staring down at her.

“Are you okay?” he asks quietly.

She nods. “Yes.” She stirs her hips against him enticingly. He pulls out, then slowly fills her again. “Keep going,” she moans. 

He has no problem satisfying her request.

He presses his lips on her neck and shoulder, before straightening. He grips her waist hard, still holding her leg up with his arm, his other hand still holding hers. She clutches his arm.

“Tifa…”

He can’t look away from her as she matches his pace. She watches him, too, her nails scratching him. Every now and then, she closes her eyes, her head tilted up, gasping from his powerful thrusts. But her deep red eyes always made their way back to his vibrant blue ones. 

He grunts, sometimes hanging his head and gritting his teeth. He's almost overpowered by the feel of her, the taste of her, the scent of her, the sounds she makes. She's stunning – the way her breasts bounce, how tight and warm she is around him, the way she breathes his name.

He drives into her at a frantic pace, and he can tell she's getting close again. She squeezes her eyes shut and moans loudly, her hand dropping from his arm to seize the sheets next to her head. He's nearly there as well.

He slides their hands above her head and bends to her again, kissing her. She returns it hungrily but breaks away suddenly, whining.

“Cloud… Cloud, I’m—!”

“With me,” he groans.

“I’m so close.”

“Me too.”

He creates a mad rhythm against her hips, squeezing her hand. Her other lets go of the sheets and rakes across his back.

The pain sends him over the edge.

He rams into her a few more times. A guttural noise escapes his throat.

“Yes, Cloud!” she shouts, her walls clamping around him like a vice.

He buries his face into her neck. His orgasm washes over him as he reaches her depths.

She's trembling as she comes down. He lets go of her hand, and she immediately wraps him in her arms.

* * *

They snuggle together against his pillows in easy silence. Tifa holds his hand over his stomach. Cloud wraps his other arm around her shoulders and hugs her closer. She appreciates how soft his sheets are now that she's paying attention to those details.

“This is way nicer than a motel,” she finally says.

He barks a laugh, not expecting her to start with that. She giggles as he nuzzles his face into her hair.

“Sometimes I think about that and cringe.”

“Yeah?”

“I thought I was…”

“…treating me like a whore?”

He stiffens. Her father had screamed those exact words at Cloud when he charged into the room. To this day, she still doesn’t know how he found them. One minute, they were holding each other, talking. The next, her dad was shouting at her to go get dressed and hemming Cloud against the wall.

She rubs her thumb across his hand comfortingly.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s alright.” But his posture hasn't changed, indicating the opposite.

“Hey, it was my idea, remember? I was too afraid of getting caught in your car.”

He sighs, loosening up. “We got caught anyway.”

“We did. But at least we were in a bed. I wanted… to be in a bed.”

They fall into silence again. Tifa shifts uncomfortably. 

“My mom and I got into a fight about you not long after we moved.”

She looks up at him. He's staring across the room.

“She’d been asking about you, and I never gave her a straight answer. One day I told her we broke up after prom, and she railed on me.”

“Why?”

“She told me she knew that we’d had sex. Found the condoms in my room.” He chuckles mirthlessly. “That was mortifying. But she never asked me about it because she wanted me to come to her.” He pauses.

“What did she say?” she asks. She wants him to keep going. She wants to know how he’s been feeling about this too. 

“She... didn’t expect that we’d broken up. _‘How could you do something like that? I thought you really liked her! How do you think she probably feels!’_ I remember her saying.” He swallows. “She said she was disappointed in me. She thought she raised me to treat girls better than that. Didn’t help that she also really liked you.”

“Cloud…”

“I’d never raised my voice at my mom before that. I just kind of lost it and told her everything.” He lets out a shaky breath. “She wanted to call your dad. I told her not to bother. But she was pissed.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Let her call? I don’t know, I thought… I don’t know.” He rubs her arm. “I’m the one rambling now.”

“It’s okay. I’m glad you’re telling me. I’m sorry you’ve been agonizing like this.”

His face contorts into a pained look, and he takes his hand back to hide it.

“Did… did you hate me?”

Tifa sits up slightly and kisses his chin. “I don’t.”

“Tell me the truth Tifa. Did you?”

She gently tugs on his hand. He finally looks down at her through his fingers. “At first… I was upset. I didn’t want what my dad said to be true – that all you wanted from me was one thing. I fought with him a lot. But when you moved, and you hadn’t spoken to me, I…” She sighs. “I did. I hated you. I… I was heartbroken Cloud. But now I know I was directing my anger at the wrong person.” She pulls at his hand again. She doesn’t want him to close up now. “Cloud, please.”

He drops it. The look on his face isn’t much better.

“I eventually got over it. I dated. I fell in love again, and even though those relationships didn’t work out, it’s okay. I’m okay,” she reassures him.

He kisses her forehead. “I’m glad. I guess... I just needed to tell you.”

“You’ve been holding that in all this time, haven’t you?”

He nods. “Silly, right?”

“No. There’s… a lot happening right now.”

She knows how he feels. So many emotions welled up inside her when she recognized him. The pain, the sadness, the anger… she’d felt so betrayed before. Most of all, she felt the hurt - she had loved him. She was only a teenager, but she had loved him. She thought she’d buried all of those feelings and gotten over him.

But the way she wanted him, the way her heart ached for him, she couldn’t deny that. And she's glad she didn’t.

At the same time, she starts to feel this creeping doubt - do they want each other in the now, or is this nostalgia? Is she pining after a lover she never got to really explore a future with, the one that got away? Or is she attracted to _him_ as he is today?

Is he?

She chews on her lower lip. Sure, before she knew who he was, she thought he was an alluring stranger. Something drew her to him, made it easy for her to talk to him for so long. Tifa isn’t sure she would have gone to bed with him if it turned out she _didn’t_ know him, but she knew she was definitely interested in learning more about him.

It doesn’t hurt that the sex with him is unbelievable. His touch is different from others, and maybe that’s because he is somewhat familiar. He reaches her heart in a way no one has been able to before.

He’d meant so much to her. They’d promised they would be together and make it work, even if they were far away. 

Her father took that from her.

The room suddenly feels heavy. She lets out a shaky breath and closes her eyes, burying her face into his neck.

“I can’t believe he did that,” she mutters.

Cloud squeezes her hand. “What?”

She takes a deep breath, then another. He sits up straighter, bringing her up with him and holding her by her shoulders. He watches her face. She doesn’t look up at him.

“Tifa…?”

Her anger begins to boil over. Cloud tortured himself with this for so long. He didn’t deserve that. He didn’t deserve what her father had done.

She didn’t deserve it either.

“He watched me cry about you for days.”

Cloud’s grip on her shoulders tightens. She bites her lip to try to stop herself, but it all comes out.

“He kept telling me you wouldn’t talk to me now that you got what you wanted. I told him he was wrong. We fought almost everyday about it. Sometimes I wouldn’t even speak to him. He knew how important you were to me. I told him I loved you!”

“Tifa, stop.”

“He knew you wouldn’t talk to me. He made sure I’d hate you!” She sighs, leaning against him. “I can’t believe he did this to me. To you,” she says weakly. “And why, why…”

Cloud runs a hand through her hair and holds her around her waist, shushing her soothingly. Tifa suddenly feels very tired. She has too many things to process. All this time…

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” he whispers.

She shakes her head. “No…” She holds his face, pressing her lips to his. He hugs her tighter. “I… I missed you too Cloud. I missed you so much.”

They stay that way for a few minutes. Her breathing evens out again, but her mind is buzzing. 

“I want to keep seeing you,” she says quietly.

“I’d like that too.”

“If it’s okay… maybe we should take it slow.”

_I need to figure this out._

He kisses her cheek, then her nose. “I think we both need that.”

He's reading her mind, she's sure of it. 

They lie down, Tifa still wrapped in his arms, her head on his chest. He kisses the top of her head. 

“We can… talk more over breakfast, if you want.”

She nods, a small smile on her lips. 

“That sounds nice.”


End file.
